


A Little Time

by geekns



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Christmas Dinner, Clara checks up on the Doctor, Fluff and Humor, Mindwiping, Multi, Open Marriage, Open to Interpretation, Post-Episode: 2015 Xmas The Husbands of River Song, Singing Towers of Darillium, or does she?, remembering Donna Noble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 07:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12249651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geekns/pseuds/geekns
Summary: Sparks fly during the Doctor and River's date post-the Husbands of River Song. Written forWaitingOnTheTardisfor theDW Inbox Buddies projectin September, 2017.





	A Little Time

**Author's Note:**

> I have never written a Twelve/River fic before this and the anonymous nature of the project required me to send the story in 500 character segments via Tumblr Ask box. With 20 segments the resulting fic was about ~1k characters long, less after i've omitted the segment numbers and signatures. The most challenging part about this was not being brief so much as how not to make dialogue understandable (there were no line breaks in the original works). So i hope this is much easier to read. I also wrote this over the span of a month and didn't really know where i was going to go with it. The ending was something that got written but then "interrupted" at the beginning of the fic, and so the story managed to come full circle. This is definitely an atypical, Teen, multi-ship fic for me.

The Doctor gazed down at River intently while she took the sight of him in, truly seeing him for the first time. His eyes were blue, just as the last Doctor's had been, but greyer and with a bit of golden amber burning in the center. His eyebrows were outrageous, thick and expressive, with lines crinkled around the edges, framing his eyes as he smiled. And he was smiling, not the manic grin of earlier, when it had literally been early morning, but softer and warmer.

He was still taller than her, and thin enough to blow away in a stiff breeze. His hair was silver now, just long enough to curl gently, no longer long on top and artfully arranged in a cock's comb to impress. Why such an old, used face, after spending so much time seeming young and awkwardly flirting? Her mind still swam in surprise. Time stretched between them, and River realized he was looking down at her lips, his cool breath brushing against her cheek in anticipation.

Her husband had unexpectedly turned into a silver fox that looked every bit the part of an awkward cradle robber, decidedly turning the tables on their old dynamic. He'd spent the past five minutes gently pronouncing poetic words laden with hidden meaning, and his intentions were clear. He meant to take the slow route with her if only for two dozen years, a little time that would have ill-suited his previous face. And after all of his sweet words he was contemplating a kiss.

“Down boy,” River teased, turning away from the Singing Towers before he could change their personal history. “Didn't you suggest dinner?” She was starving, they hadn't had a bite to eat all night, and now it was early evening again.

The Doctor, to his credit, didn't sulk but leapt into action, pulling a chair out for her. His flustered flailing was more subtle now, but still helped put her at ease. River slid into her chair, thanking him, and reached for the nearest menu. The Doctor seated himself across from River, unbuttoning and smoothing his jacket down before settling in. The view behind him was majestic, the sun gradually sinking lower, setting the sky on fire.

“I'm not one, you know,” he told her, taking his own menu. “Neither of us are.” River looked down, could feel his warm gaze as she turned her attention to the choices before her:

“Not what?” she asked.

“Monoliths,” he continued. “I'm not perfect, River, but I thought you knew...”

A waitress bustled over to pour water and sat breadsticks on the table. She was not, mercifully, blue, though she was wearing a navy dress cut short across her thighs. “My name is Lara, I'll be your server today,” the young woman pronounced. The Doctor looked up in response to the name.

“Clara?” he repeated.

“She said Lara, dear,” River corrected.

“Are you ready to order or do you need more time?” Lara asked, tucking her tray under her arm and her brown hair behind her ear.

“Oh, I'm always ready,” River intoned flirtatiously. “I'll have the shrimp tortellini and some chardonnay.” Lara chewed on her lip as she wrote River's order down.

“Excellent choice. And you, Doctor?” she asked. The Doctor eyebrows crinkled ominously as he regarded their waitress.

“I'll have the lasagna,” he pronounced, snapping his menu shut. “And a banana Italian soda.” Lara giggled, pencil scratching away:

“Banana?”

“Always bring a banana to a party,” the Doctor grumped. Lara gathered the menus:

“Oh, silly me, almost forgot, those come with salad.” Lara blushed prettily. “Garden or Caesar?” she asked.

“I'll have the garden with the raspberry vinaigrette,” River responded with a wink.

“The Caesar for me,” the Doctor returned. “Now there's a bloke that loved music: and a good blaze as it turned out.”

“Which Caesar?” River asked with a laugh.

“Oh, I was thinking of that old lecher Nero. I saved him from being poisoned once,” the Doctor boasted.

“Do you work for the Justice Department?” Lara asked keenly. “I've always wondered what it must be like, justice for history's worst criminals.”

“Not me,” the Doctor laughed. “Though we've crossed paths with a teselecta before.” River frowned:

“I don't like them.” She took a sip of her water.

“Well they threw us a great wedding, didn't they?” the Doctor asked.

“There is that,” River allowed.

“That sounds romantic,” Lara sighed.

“Story for another time,” the Doctor smiled.

“Let me know if there's anything else I can get you,” Lara turned, bustled off just as quickly as she had arrived. The Doctor watched her go.

“Maybe she'll join us later,” River suggested.

“Who will?” he asked, mind still lightyears away, voice coming from far off even though they were face to face.

“That girl in a short skirt,” River mused, turning away to study the brilliant horizon again.

“You know I can only handle one woman at a time,” the Doctor's voice held a smile. “I'm sorry, she reminded me of someone, mm...” the Doctor practically moaned.

River turned away from the sunset. He was clearly enjoying his appetizer. He held the basket out; she took a slice, a tentative bite. The bread seemed to dissolve on her tongue in an explosion of garlic and butter.

“Doctor, who was she?” she asked.

“I can't remember her,” he returned:

“You don't remember,” River felt dubious.

“It's a long story,” the Doctor sighed. “I know her name was Clara.”

“Clara,” River repeated.

“She was my companion after your mother. I made myself forget her,” the Doctor confessed.

“But why?” she asked.

“Because she was reckless and glorious and I cared for her too much. Because I was ready to tear Gallifrey apart for...I'm not sure what they did to her. But I went too far.” River reached across the table to hold the Doctor's hand. “I went too far, and I remembered Donna.” River knew that Donna was one of the Doctor's biggest regrets. “I saw this face once, another visit to the Roman empire, before it became mine, back when Donna was still with me. I thought I was trying to tell myself something, to never be complacent, to make sure I always save someone who needs a doctor. But I was wrong. I chose this face so I couldn't forget, a memo...” the Doctor sighed, let go of River's hand to cover his face. “...that what I did to Donna is unforgivable. It seemed _just_ to make myself forget Clara in recompense.”

River gave the Doctor a long moment to compose himself.

“How long have you been alone?” she asked. The Doctor's eyes were bright with unshed tears when he dropped his hands.

“Too long,” he admitted. “Donna wouldn't approve of that, either.” He sat up straighter. Lara was suddenly at her elbow, setting wine and salad on the table, offering to refill their water glasses, teasing him about banana being an odd flavor for anything, let alone soda. And then they were alone again.

“Is there anything else that you'd like to confess?” River teased. She started stabbing her salad with a little more force than was strictly necessary, loading her fork with enthusiasm.

“That depends, are you going to stab _me_ if you don't like my answer?” the Doctor's accent was thick. She liked his new voice.

“That depends on if you give me good reason,” River shrugged.

“Well I blame Danny for the next bit. No, I blame Missy.”

“The Master?” River gasped, “How is your ex?”

“She's in time out,” the Doctor replied around a mouthful of romaine and parmesan. “First she gave me Clara...”

“Gave you?”

“...who she then tried to trick me into killing.”

“Gave you? This I have to hear,” River exclaimed.

“Well I didn't know it was her: it was a blind date. Missy gave Clara my number.”

“And you swooped in to save the day like the dashing hero you are.”

“Shut up,” her husband blushed.

“I bet you loved that, you never could resist a good mystery.”

“Speaking of mystery, I take it you’ve met Missy?” the Doctor asked.

“I may have loaned her a little something when she received your confession dial,” River confirmed.

“Space vortex manipulator,” the Doctor breathed.

“Which she never returned.”

“And how did that little conversation go?”

“Swimmingly,” River grinned. “The poor thing was distraught. I had no choice but to comfort her.” The Doctor frowned. “It wouldn’t hurt you to be a little sympathetic,” River huffed.

“I'm sorry, I can't imagine how you feel hearing about my companions. No wait, I can,” the Doctor paused meaningfully. “I am sorry. I didn't mean to neglect you.” River huffed:

“I meant your ex,” she redirected.

“Yes, well, she brings out the worst in me. Works hard at it.” River shook her head:

“Don't blame her for your reckless behavior. I wonder what it would be like if you were so harsh with me. You can be sure that I wouldn't take your criticism lightly. How dare you.”

“Do you see me lecturing you?” the Doctor asked.

“I could hear you all night,” River shot back, “I didn't care what you thought then and I certainly don't care now.” She pushed her salad plate away from herself, took a sip of wine.

“I don't believe you,” he said gently, “I don't want to fight, I've had enough fighting. I forgive you; I only hope you can forgive me.”

“Oh, you forgive me?” she demanded.

“Yes. I know I've been selfish and cruel, but I'm here to make amends.”

“Twenty-four years is a good start,” River allowed.

“There's something I meant to say earlier,” the Doctor continued, “I hope you know that I love you. I'm going to make sure you know that.” It was River's turn for tear-brightened eyes:

“Do you promise?” He smiled warmly, taking her hand:

“I promise. This time is for you. Only you.” River turned to watch the first stars come out in the deep darkening sky, then back to her husband.

“No,” she objected. “This time is for us.”

 

 


End file.
